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New Eye Surgery Center Opens

BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital announced this week the opening of its new Eye Surgery Center, which utilizes existing hospital space, offers comprehensive surgical services to treat cataracts and glaucoma as well as illnesses and injuries of the retina and vitreous.

The Eye Surgery Center required the purchase of specialized surgical equipment to outfit one of the hospital’s operation room suites as well as the recruitment of retina specialists to complement the scope of services already provided by the ophthalmologists of Chesapeake Eye Center.

“We’re very excited to be able to provide these services to the community,” said Shirley Spirk, director of surgery at Atlantic General. “With our aging population, the demand for cataract surgery and other eye treatments is increasing steadily.”

With the new equipment, surgeons Catherine Smoot-Haselnus, M.D., Jason Yonker, M.D., and Todd Bescak, D.O are able to provide micro-incisional surgery under mild sedation with custom lens choices for visual correction of distance vision, near vision and astigmatism. The investment in the new technology has also allowed Atlantic General to offer specialty retina care with Zaaira Ahmad, M.D., Jeffrey Benner, M.D. and John Butler, M.D. of Retina Consultants of Delmarva.

Development of the AGH Eye Surgery Center allows for comprehensive surgical eye care seven days a week on a scheduled or emergency basis locally for the first time.

“With the premier clinical and surgical talent of the AGH surgeons, coupled with the latest technology available at Atlantic General, patients no longer have to travel beyond their community to receive first class eye care,” said Smoot-Haselnus, medical director of the Eye Surgery Center.

Azar Comes To Ocean Pines

OCEAN PINES — When Dr. Alex Azar saw an opportunity to expand his practice into the Ocean Pines area, he didn’t waste any time. He immediately reached out to his colleagues at Accurate Optical (whom he already shares building space with in the Salisbury, Winterplace Park location) to see if they would be interested in sharing the market and office space in Northern Worcester County.

“Economically it made sense to share office space in the Pines and bring all of our specialties together in one centralized location,” said Dr. Alex Azar. “Not only do we share equipment, office space and exam rooms, but we all value the ability to deliver expert eye care in a convenient and comfortable setting.”

Two key elements were factored into the decision to expand in the Ocean Pines/Berlin area — the Pines’ growing senior population and an existing patient-base.

“The number of patients driving from the Ocean Pines/Berlin area for appointments in our Salisbury office is greater than it’s ever been before,” said Dr. Azar. “Now we are bringing the same quality care closer to our existing patients and exposing other residents in the area to a one-stop-shopping experience for all their eye care needs.”

The new office provides comprehensive eye health care, an extensive selection of eyewear and specialized services and surgeries.

New Designation Earned

OCEAN CITY — Legum and Norman, an Associa company, has announced Abby Elliott, general manager at The Parke at Ocean Pines, has earned her Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) designation from the National Board of Certification for Community Association Managers (NBC-CAM).

The CMCA credential is granted only to individuals who demonstrate fundamental knowledge and expertise in managing homeowner and condominium associations and cooperatives.

“We’re always excited to see one of our staff members move up the success ladder,” said Susan Blackburn, President of Legum & Norman. “This designation will help increase her education and overall experience in the industry, which will help her to ultimately better serve our clients.”

Elliott joined L&N in 2009 as The Parke Clubhouse Coordinator and became General Manager one year later.

Certification Achieved

BERLIN — Coastal Hospice and Palliative Care has announced that Dr. Ghulam Waris has achieved Board Certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Waris is an attending physician for Coastal Hospice at the Lake inpatient facility, for home care patients, and for inpatient palliative consults at Peninsula Regional Medical Center. He has been with Coastal Hospice since 2004. Dr. Waris is also the medical director at the Holly Center. He has been with the Holly Center since 2002.

"It is a considerable honor for Dr. Waris to achieve this certification,” says Dr. David Cowall, Medical Director for Coastal Hospice and Palliative Care. “Besides passing a challenging examination, this distinction also represents many years of hard work and study. His expertise will prove invaluable to Coastal Hospice."